AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Wheaton College (Mass.) pitching held the Coe College baseball team to just six hits in a 2-0 shutout victory this morning at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Fla. as part of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
The Lyons win their third straight to improve to 4-3 on the season, while the Kohawks fall to 6-8.
The shutout was the first for Wheaton since a 5-0 win over Babson College on April 29, 2022.
The Lyons left nine runners on base, but were able to take advantage of opportunities when it counted in the late innings, scoring a run in the sixth and another run in the eighth.
Coe pitching allowed just three hits, but issued eight walks and hit two batters, but managed to escape damage more often than not during the contest.
Wheaton first year third baseman Casey Wensley (Raynham, Mass.) rapped a double in four at-bats for the only extra-base hit by either side, while senior center fielder AJ Guindon (Coventry, R.I.) and junior second baseman Tommy Beauregard (Salem, Mass.) collected singles for the Lyons. Senior right fielder Tommy Ambrosone (Hopkinton, Mass.) drew a pair of walks to go with a stolen base and scored both runs for Wheaton. Sophomore right-handed starter Ben Oliveira (Somerset, Mass.) was outstanding in five and two-thirds innings of work, giving up just four hits in addition to issuing three walks and fanning four batters to earn the victory to improve to 1-0 on the year. Junior righty reliever Jackson Walsh (Cumberland, R.I.) got the Lyons to the ninth with two and a third innings of one-hit relief, including a pair of strikeouts, before junior Joe Mulhern (Taunton, Mass.) closed out the game with a scoreless ninth that saw him surrender just one hit to earn his second save of the season.
Sophomore catcher Ryan Thoreson and senior third baseman Jack Allison each had a pair of singles in three at-bats to pace the Cohawks' offense. Sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Matthew Chapman was saddled with the loss to drop to 0-3 after yielding a run on just two hits and seven walks in addition to striking out three batters in five and two-thirds innings.
Wheaton broke into the scoring column on the legs of Ambrosone in the top of the sixth inning to take a 1-0 edge. Ambrosone drew a lead-off walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scampered home on another wild pitch with two outs to give the Lyons the lead.
Wheaton added an insurance run in the eighth to double its lead to 2-0. Once again Ambrosone led off the frame and reached on an error by the second baseman and then took second when the right fielder bobbled the ball on the same play. Senior shortstop Mike Maher (Jefferson, Mass.) executed a sacrifice bunt to push Ambrosone to third before he scored on a fielder's choice from junior first baseman Timmy Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) to put the Lyons ahead by two runs.
Coe looked to rally in the bottom of the ninth after Thoreson reached on an infield single and advanced to second after Allison was hit by a pitch, but Mulhern induced a pop-up to himself and recorded the final out on a deep fly ball to center.
Both teams had an opportunity to score early in the game, but were rescued with double-play balls. Ambrosone drew a one-out walk in the top of the first for Wheaton and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches, before Maher worked a walk to put runners on the corners. Chapman re-grouped on the mound for the Kohawks and was able to get out of the jam with a 4-6-3 twin killing.
Coe looked primed to score in the bottom of the second when it loaded the bases with one out. Thoreson and Allison registered consecutive singles and first year CJ Johnson was issued a free pass to lead the bases. Oliveira was able to escape for the Lyons with a tailor-made double play ball to short to keep it a scoreless game.
Wheaton put runners on the corners with one out again in the top of the third after a walk from Beauregard and an infield single off the bat of Guindon. Chapman bared down to get a strikeout and ended the threat with a pick-off at first base.
The Kohawks put a runner on third again in the fourth, but again, Oliveira was able to get out of the inning unscathed with a ground out to third base to keep Coe off the board.
The Lyons return to action on Tuesday, March 19 when they travel to Dartmouth, Mass. to take on University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at 3:30 p.m., while Coe hosts Wartburg College on March 22 at 3:00 p.m.
